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"No," I assured her, and she visibly relaxed

"As Edward tells it, nant with me The shock sent her into early labor"

"But - " Jessie frowned "I thought the virus was passed through saliva"

"Right"

I didn’t elaborate Within a few seconds, the light dawned on theh paled Hell, so did Will Only Dath to articulate the truth "She was bitten in the stomach?"

I nodded

"And you?"

"The best I can figure is that the virus entered the ah I wasn’t affected the way most humans are"

"You shifted, but you weren’t possessed"

"Pretty h was staring at me with more sympathy than I’d ever seen in her eyes, except when she was gazing at Dae killed her"

Which was true She’d changed, then Edward had killed her

The room went silent At least no one said they were sorry They’d have been lying My mother, once bitten, had been dooh asked

"My entire family iped out by the olves that bit h’s eyes softened for an instant "Sorry That’s rough"

She should know

"When did you realize you were different?" Damien asked

"I enty-two"

His eyes widened "You were normal until then?"

I didn’t kno normal I’d been - an orphan, raised by the man who’d killed my mother - but I nodded anyway

"What caused it?"

"At the tie had happened yesterday instead of seven years ago, the fear ca pain

"I was in college at Stanford - "

"Nice," Jessie muttered

"Edward spared no expense"

Both she and Leigh frowned "Mandenauer paid for your schooling?"

"Edward has paid for everything"

As a child I hadn’t knohy Edas caring for lad that he was I had no one else

After I learned the truth, I’d figured he felt guilty aboutme an orphan Recently, I’d come to understand his assistance had been based on suspicion

He’d wondered what I ht become and when The only reason he hadn’t killed ed was because I was different, and that difference had been useful to hi on between the two of you" Jessie’s gaze wandered over ain

For a second I didn’t understand what she meant When I did, my cheeks flushed, and my fists clenched

"He didn’t pay for "

"If the name slut fits"

"Gutter brain," I h snicker

"Stop it," Will snapped "Let Elise finish"

Jessie and Leigh didn’t appear contrite, but they did shut up

"The first change caan

"When the hell is that?"

I should have known Jessie wouldn’t be able to shut up co her a quelling look "When the wolves hoith hunger in the depths of the winter snows"

"Well, not at Stanford," I allowed, "but it was January As I’m sure you’re all aware, full moons are a busy time"

Just ask any ER physician, maternity floor nurse, psychiatric attendant, or waitress at the nearest twenty-four-hour greasy spoon

My last semester before es - I’d been excited, anxious, and in love

"Why then?" Daes of puberty initiate other changes?"

I hadn’t considered the notion But now that I thought about it, Edward had

The years between twelve and fourteen were the only ones I’d spent with him He’d been possessed by the desire to live in a castle in his native land To hell and gone, the middle of nowhere, practically on top of abear of aas he was smart

When I’d been sent to Austria three days pastwrong What I had done was gotten irl Funny how things made sense from a distance of years

"I’d think if you were gonna go furry," Jessie ht away Got an explanation for that, Wonder Doc?"

I was used to a certain amount of respect, if not for the PhD behind my name, then for the advances I’d ive a shit about either one

"I have a theory"

"Which is about as close as we’re going to get to an answer, I’hed "Get on with it"

"I believe the small amount of virus I received in utero lay dorh to cause the change, not enough to"

I wasn’t sure how to articulate what happened to a hu when the virus turned thele your soul," Damien whispered

Silence settled over us all until I broke it with a simple, "Yes"

"So you’re the perfect olf?" Leigh prodded "All the superpoithout the pesky demon?"

"I wouldn’t say perfect It’s not exactly fun to change"

Or at least it hadn’t been until yesterday

"I reh murmured

When a person is bitten, they experience a kind of collective consciousness As the virus penetrates their blood, they is that have happened to others They feel the pain, the power, both the terror and the temptation

"What about the blood lust?" Da sickened me Not that I didn’t do it I couldn’t stop h’s and Jessie’s fingers crept toward their guns I doubted they even knew they were rained was their response to a threat

"But I can stop myself now" f hey froze, then frowned at each other

"I invented a serue, but I’m not compelled to kill"

Their hands left their weapons

"I wouldn’t mind some of that sauce," Damien murmured

"I’d be happy to share," I said "If it hadn’t blown up with the compound"